Congress nixes Pawar's idea to reduce women's quota

New Delhi, March 15 : The Congress Monday rejected Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar's suggestion to reduce the women's reservation quota from 33 percent to about 20-21 percent to help arrive at a consensus, and said there is no question of diluting the legislation.

"Absolutely no proposal...no such idea," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Pawar, who is also union agriculture minister, said at an NCP rally in Karla near Pune Sunday that he had counselled Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav not to stall the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha as their views on the quota for backward castes and minorities could be considered.

"A reduction in the proposed 33 percent reservation can be considered, to arrive at a consensus," Pawar said.

But the Congress spokesperson said here, "There is no cause for speculation (about the bill)", and "everything will be discussed and clarified within the coalition".

The Rajya Sabha last week passed the historic bill giving one-third representation to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has said he, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav, would continue to fight the bill.